Automatic synchronizing mechanism for chime clocks



J. THEGANZA.. AUTOMATIC SNCHRONIZ|NG MECHANISM FOR CHIME CLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV I, 19!!)- Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

Jilin-n03 fa/fin? the half hour, a triple series at the three UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD J. TREGANZA, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNQR T0 ANSONIA CLOCK00., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A COBPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC SYNGHBONIZING MECHANISM FOR CRIME CLOCKS.

Application filed November To all 10 item it may concern Be it knownthat I, Hmvnno J. 'lsneimza a citizen of the United States, and residingin the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kin s, city and State of New York,have invented a certain new and useful Automatic Synchronizing Mechanismfor Chime Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to clocks in which a harmonic chime is rung at eachquarter of the hour, and-has for its object to provide means whereby thetime, strike, and chime mechanisms will be automatically put in unisonshould any relative disarrangement of said mechanisms occur.

A further object is to provide such a construction which will notnecessitate a reconstruction of the ordinary chime clock mechanism, andwhich will be simple in character cheap to manufacture and install,

and which will be positive in operation.

These and further objects will more fully appear in the followingspecification and .accompanying drawings considered together orseparately.

I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention in the accompanyingdrawings, in which like parts in all of the several figures aredesignated by similar characters of reference, and in which- Fig. 1 is atop plan view of a striking and chime clock movement embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same partly in section.

Fig. 3'is a detail view of a portion of the chiming mechanism inposition to chime the three quarter.

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the parts in position to chime the hour.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the chime synchronizing and locking discs.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the synchronizing disc, and

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the chime looking disc.

My invention is shown as applied to an ordinary chime clock movement inwhich a single series of four notes is chimed at the quarter hour, adouble series is chimed at quarters, and a quadruple series at the hour.Immediately after the hour chime has finished the clock strikes thehour. It is obvious that in such a movement when stark Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1 1, 1922.

1, 1919. Serial No. 335,178.

ing the (lock the chime and the time must be put in unison, that is thechime mechanism must be chimed around until its quarter half, etc,chimes occur at quarter past, half past, etc, when the minute handpoints to those parts of the dial.

in carrying out my invention 1 provide a clock movement having the usualtime, striking and chiming, mechanisms which are wound at 1, 2 and 3respectively. The striking mechanism is locked by the engagement of apin 1 on a wheel 5 of the strike gear chain with a pallet 6 carried by alever 7 pivoted to the front plate 8 of the movement. The pallet 6extends through aslot 9 in the front plate.

Secured to the minutehand arbor 10 which is surrounded. by the tubularhour hand arbor 11, as is common, is a disc having four pins, 18, 14, 15and 16 projecting therefrom. The pins are arranged 90 apart. T as pins13, l t-and 15 are at the same radial distance from. the center of thedisc, while the pin 16 is a greater distance from the center of thedisc. 5

Pivoted to the plate 8 and directly above the disc 12 is a bell cranklever 17 one arm of which lies in the path of the pins as the discrotates with the minute hand of the clock. The other arm of the bellcrank is adapted to engage a lever 18 pivoted to the frame 8. The lever17 will be oscillated once every fifteen minutes as the disc is rotatedwith the .minute hand. When the depending arm of the bell crank isengaged by the pin 16, it, the bell crank, will be moved a greaterdistance than before, because of the position of the pin 16 relativelyto the center of the disc 12, and consequently the lever 18 will bemoved a greater distance than before.

One arbor 19 of the chime train extends through the plate 8 and carriesa synchronizing disc 20. The disc 20 has a segmental notch 21 in itsperiphery. A segment 22 is loosely mounted on the arbor19 and carries apin 23 which projects through a slot 24 in the disc 20. A spring 25bears against the pin and normally retains the segment in position topartially close the notch 21. The disc 20 carries an axially projectingpin 26 on the face opposite to that with which the segment 22 engages.

A pin 27 is carried by one arm of a bell crank lei?? 28 pivoted to thefront plate 8.

The same arm carries a pin 29 which projects through a slot 30 in theplate 8 and is adapted to be engaged by a pin 31 on a Wheel 32 of thechime train. A second arm of the bell crank 28 lies in the path of a pin33 carried on an extension of the lever 18.

The lever 18 is provided with an up wardly extending arm carrying twopallets 34 and 35 which extend through a slot in the plate 8. The pallet34 supports an arm 36 carried by a rock shaft 37 journaled in the plate8 and the back plate 38 of the movement.

The rock shaft 37 carries an arm 39 having a finger 40 adapted to engageany one of a series of notches in a locking disc 41 carried by the shaft19. The rock shaft also carries an arm 41 having a finger adapted toengage a single notch in a disc 42 on the shaft carrying the wheel 32.

The arbor 19 extends through the back plate 38 and carries a spur wheel43 which meshes with a pinion 44 on the shaft carrying the usual tootheddrum or series of toothed discs 45 for raising the hammers 46 of thechime. The striking hammer 47 has an arm 48 adapted to be operated bymeans of a lever 49 pivoted at 50 on the back plate and operated by thestriking train as is common.

The pin 26 on the disc 20 is adapted, once in each revolution of thedisc, to engage the end of an arm 51 of the lever 7 to tilt the latterand remove the pallet 6 from the path of the pin 4 and permit thestriking mechanism to operate. The movement of the arm 51 moves a pin 52carried by the lever 7 from beneath the striker segment. 53, and permitsthe latter to drop. The drop of the segment will be arrested by theengagement of an arm 54 with a snail (not shown) whereby the hammer 47will strike the hour. The snail is rotated in unison with the hour handof the clock. The snail and other elements of the striking mechanism arecommon and well known and need not be here described in detail.

The operation is as follows When the minute hand reaches the quarterhour the pin 13 will throw the bell crank lever 17 to raise the lever18, and through the pallet 34 and arm 36, rock the shaft 37.

. The movement of the rock shaft will raise the arms 39 and 4.1 from thenotches in the discs 41 and 42 respectively and the chime train will bereleased. As the lever v18 is raised the pallet 35 is brought into thepath of a pin 55 on a wheel 56 of the chime train and stops the train.The continued movement of the. lever 18 releases the pin at the instantthe quarter is reached. The disc 41 will rotate in the clockwisedirection until the finger of the arm 39 falls into the next notch inthe disc 41. Thismovement will cause a partial rotation of the chimedrum to the extent of four teeth or in other words each of the chimehammers will be caused to strike its gong once. \Vhile the disc 41. ismoving the distance between the two closest notches therein the disc 42will make a complete revolution and the linger on the arm 4-1 will dropback into the notch in the disc 42 and lock the chime mechanism.

The same operation will occur when the minute hand reaches 'the hallhour except that as the distance between the second and third notches inthe disc 41 is double that between the first and second, the finger ofthe arm 39 will ride on the periphery of the disc 41 and hold the arm41" from engagement with the notch in the disc 42 while the latter makestwo revolutions, and the chime drum will rotate to operate each hammertwice and two series of four notes each will he struck.

The operation will be the same at the three quarters except that thedisc 42 will rotate three times and three series of four notes each willbe chimed. As the chiming of the three quarters approaches its end, thepin 27 will drop into the notch 21 in the disc 20 and as the disc willcontinue to rotate until the finger 40 drops into its proper notch inthe locking disc 41 the segment 22 will be moved against the tension ofthe spring 25 and the notch will be widened.

As the minute hand approaches the hour the above described operationswill be repeated except that the pin 16 of the disc 12 will engage thebell crank 17 and move it further than before. This will raise the lever18 higher and the pin 33 carried by the extension thereof will engagethe lower arm of the lever 28 and raise the pin 27 from the notch 21.The first part of the movement of the lever 28 will bring the pin 29into the path of the pin 31 of the wheel 32 of the chime train when thelatter is almost in position to strikethe hour chime. The continuedmovement of the lever 18 will remove the pin 29 from the path of the pin31 and chime will sound four series of four notes each.

As the pin 27 is moved out of the notch 21, the spring 25 will move thesegment back to its normal position whereby when the lever 18 falls byreason of the pin 16 passing from under the bell crank 17 the said pin27 will engage the peripherv of the disc 20.

lVhile the hour chime is being pealed the pin 26 on the disc 20 willengage below the end of the long arm extension 51 of the lever 7 andraise the same. This movement will move the pallet 6 from engagementwith the pin 4, the striking train will be released and the hour will bestruck immediately after the hour chime is finished. The strikingmechanism is old and well known and forms .no part of the presentinvention,

Should the clock run fast or slow and it becomes necessary to set it,and in setting the hands are moved rapidly the time and chime mechanismsare extremely liable to get out of step. In such a we will assume thatwhen the minute hand indicates the quarter hour the chime will peal thehalf hour signal of two series of four notes each. In such a situationthe chime will sound three series of four notes each when the minutehand. reaches the half hour.

/Vhile the chime is sounding the three series at the half hour the pin27 will drop into the notch 21 of the disc 20, and when the minute handreaches the figure TX on the dial the pin 15 will engage the bell crank17 and raise the lever 18 but the lever will not be raisedsufiicientlyto engage the lever 28 and release the pin 27 from the notch 21, andconsequently the pin 29 will remain in engagement with the pin on thechime wheel 30, the chime train will be prevented from operating, andthe next or four series chime will not be sounded at the three quarterhour.

I mien the minute hand reaches the hour the pin 16 willengage the bellcrank and raise the lever 18 sufficiently to release the pin 2'? fromthe notch 21, and remove the pin 29 from the path of the pin in thewheel 30, the four series chime will peal. and the hour will be struck.The chime, time and striking will now be synchronized and remain so.

If the three quarter chime is sounded at the quarter there will be nochime at the half and three quarter, but as the minute hand reaches XIIthe hour chime will be pealed. The device is entirely automatic, theproper chime is always sounded at the hour and the proper hour is alwaysstruck w ien the hour hand points to that hour.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statues I have describedthe principle of my invention, together with the apparatus which I nowconsider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to haveit understood that the apparatus shown merely illustrative, and that theinvention may be carried out in other ways.

.Having now described my invention what I claim. as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is as follows l. A device of the characterdescribed, comprising time, striking and chiming mechanisms, means forlocking the striking mechanism, means for locking the chiming mechanism,means for releasing the chiming mechanism independently of the strikingmechanism, automatically adjustable means for locking the chimingmechanism in dependently of the first mentioned chime locking means.

2. A device of the character described, comprising time, striking andchiming mechanisms, each including a gear train, means for locking thestriking and chiming -mechanisms, a rotating element geared to butoutside of th chiming train, adjustable means for locking said elementagainst rotation, and means carried by the time mechanism for r leasingthe element.

3. A device of the character described, comprising time, striking andchiming mechanisms, means for locking the striking and chimingmechanisms, 3 frame for the mechanisms, a disc carried by the frame androtatable with the chime mechanism, there being an adjustable peripheralnotch in the disc, a lever pivoted to the frame, said lever engaging thenotch to prevent movement of the chime mechanism, a second lever pivotedto the frame and adapted to engage the first mentioned lever, and meansoperated by the time mechanism for engaging the levers and releasing thesecond lever from the notch.

4:. A device of the character described, comprising time, striking andchiming mechanisms each including a gear train, means for locking thestriking and chiming mecha nisms, a frame for the mechanisms, a leverpivoted to the frame and engaging a wheel in the strike mechanism train,a disc rotatably mounted in the frame, said disc being geared to butoutside of the chime train, there being a notch in the disc, means forvarying the width of the notch, a lever pivoted to the frame and adaptedto engage the notch whereby the disc and chime train are locked, areleasing lever pivoted to the frame and adapted to engage the chimelocking lever, a member carried on the minute hand arbor for moving thereleasing lever to disengage the notch engaging lever to release thechime train, and means carried by the disc for engaging the strike trainlocking lever to release the strike train.

5. A device of the character described, comprising time, striking andchiming mech anisms, means for locking the striking and chimingmechanisms, a frame for the mechanisms, a lever pivoted to the frame andengaging a wheel in the strike mechanism train, a disc carried by androtatable with the chime train, there being a notch in the disc, a leverpivoted to the frame and adapted to engage the notch whereby the discand chime train are locked, a releasing lever pivoted to the frame andadapted to engage the chime locking lever, a member carried on theminute hand arbor for moving the releasing lever to disengage the notchengaging lever to release the chime train, and means carried by anisms,means for locking the striking and chiming mechanisms, a frame for themech anisms, a lever pivoted to the frame and engaging a wheel in thestrike mechanism train, a disc carried by and rotatable with the chimetrain, there being. a notch in the disc, a lever pivoted to the frameand adapted to engage the notch whereby the disc and chime locking leverto release the strike train, and

pivoted means carried by the disc to prevent the disc locking lever fromengaging the notch.

7. A device of the character described, comprisingtime, striking andchiming mechanisms, means for locking the striking and chimingmechanisms, a frame for the mechahisms, a lever pivoted to the frame andengaging a wheel in the strike mechanism train, a disc carried by androtatable with the chime train, there being 'a notch in the disc, alever pivoted to the frame and adapted to engage the notch whereby thedisc and chime train are looked, a releasing lever pivoted to the frameand adapted to engage the chime locking lever, a member carried on theminute hand arbor for moving the releasing lever to disengage the notchengaging lever to release the chime train, and means carried by the discfor engaging the strike train locking lever to release the strike train,and spring actuated pivoted means carried by the disc to prevent thedisc locking lever from engaging the notch.

This specification signed and witnessed this 24th day of October, 1919.

HOWARD J. TREGANZA. WVitnesses:

' JACQUES S. Lor'r,

J OHN Bonowr.

